Sharing your GP medical records

Sharing your GP medical record with other healthcare professionals involved in your care

Health services in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland are introducing a new system of sharing medical records between a GP practice and other NHS organisations.

The system will allow the healthcare professional who provide you with care, to view information in your GP medical record. Viewing your record will help to improve the quality of your care and potentially save lives.

Who will be able to view my medical record and what will they use it for?

A qualified healthcare professional who has obtained your consent will be able to view your GP medical record. This will only ever be done for the specific problem you are presenting with. This will allow the clinician assessing you to have faster, easier access to relevant information about you, to help provide you with safer and better care.

What information can be viewed?

personal information, such as name, date of birth, gender

allergies

medication

attendances, hospital admission and referral dates

vaccinations and immunisations

test results, including measurements such as blood pressure

diagnoses (current and post problems)

treatment and medical procedures

What information will be blocked from viewing?

IVF, fertility treatment and embryology

Venereal disease and sexually transmitted diseases

Gender realignment

Termination of pregnancy

However this can be overridden in a clinical emergency. For further information regarding your record please see your GP Receptionist.

What will happen when the healthcare professionals want to view my GP medical record?

You will be asked directly to give your explicit consent, at the point of contact, for your GP medical record to be viewed. You can say yes or no; the Consultant/Doctor will only view your record if you say yes.

You will be asked beforehand for permission by the assessing healthcare professional each time your medical record is viewed. Your healthcare professional is only viewing your record. They are not downloading and storing any of your data. This means that when they close your record it is no longer accessible outside of your surgery.

If you are unable to give consent, for example if you are unconscious and it is deemed to be vital for your survival, then a healthcare professional may view your GP medical record in order to be able to provide appropriate care for you.

If I give permission to view my GP medical record, how long does this permission last?

Your GP medical record will only be viewed while you are currently being treated. When you are discharged back to the care of your GP, electronic access to your medical record will stop until someone asks you again.

Can I refuse to allow my GP to share my medical record?

If you are concerned about sharing your GP medical record you can opt out of allowing it to be shared. If you do not wish for your information, or even part of it, to leave your GP practice clinical system then please ask your GP receptionist who will arrange this. This can be done at any time – now or in the future.

Can I change my mind?

Yes you can change your mind about opting-in or opting-out at any time by asking the GP Receptionist.

How will my information be kept secure and confidential?

A secure system will be used to allow access to your GP Practice System by another organisation. All organisations involved must sign an Agreement to confirm that they will adhere to the strict controls in place around the computer system itself and around any staff who are allowed to access the system. Everyone working for the NHS has a legal and contractual duty to keep information about you secure and confidential.

How can I find out who has viewed my GP medical record

Every time your GP record is accessed by another organisation, a message is sent back to your GP Practice system and stored in an audit log

Is there a danger someone else could hack into my record or that my information could be lost?

The NHS has the strongest security measures available and there is strong protection to prevent any information from being accessed without permission. As the organisations are only viewing your record, it is not possible for them to delete any information or for it to be lost.

For further information you can discuss the sharing of your medical records with your GP or you can contact the NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland IM&T Strategic Projects Team on the following should require more detail; Tel: 0116 295 0756 Email:imtpmo@lcr.nhs.uk

Sharing your GP medical record with other healthcare professionals involved in your care

Health services in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland are introducing a new system of sharing medical records between a GP practice and other NHS organisations.

The system will allow the healthcare professional who provide you with care, to view information in your GP medical record. Viewing your record will help to improve the quality of your care and potentially save lives.

Who will be able to view my medical record and what will they use it for?

A qualified healthcare professional who has obtained your consent will be able to view your GP medical record. This will only ever be done for the specific problem you are presenting with. This will allow the clinician assessing you to have faster, easier access to relevant information about you, to help provide you with safer and better care.

Currently the following organisations are taking part, but as more organisations sign-up, this list will change. Reception can provide you with up-to-date information:

University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust

Northern Doctors Urgent Care Ltd

Oadby and Wigston Walk-in Medical Centre

Melton Mowbray Hospital Minor Injury and Illness Service

Market Harborough Minor Injury and Illness Unit

Rutland Memorial Hospital Minor Injury and Illness Unit

Central Nottingham Clinical Services

LLR Out of Hours Service

Urgent Care Centre, Loughborough

Derbyshire Health United – NHS 111

East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust

George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust – Urgent Care Centre Leicester

SSAFA Walk-in Centre

What information can be viewed?

personal information, such as name, date of birth, gender

allergies

medication

attendances, hospital admission and referral dates

vaccinations and immunisations

test results, including measurements such as blood pressure

diagnoses (current and post problems)

treatment and medical procedures

What information will be blocked from viewing?

IVF, fertility treatment and embryology

Venereal disease and sexually transmitted diseases

Gender realignment

Termination of pregnancy

However this can be overridden in a clinical emergency. For further information regarding your record please see your GP Receptionist.

What will happen when the healthcare professionals want to view my GP medical record?

You will be asked directly to give your explicit consent, at the point of contact, for your GP medical record to be viewed. You can say yes or no; the Consultant/Doctor will only view your record if you say yes.

You will be asked beforehand for permission by the assessing healthcare professional each time your medical record is viewed. Your healthcare professional is only viewing your record. They are not downloading and storing any of your data. This means that when they close your record it is no longer accessible outside of your surgery.

If you are unable to give consent, for example if you are unconscious and it is deemed to be vital for your survival, then a healthcare professional may view your GP medical record in order to be able to provide appropriate care for you.

If I give permission to view my GP medical record, how long does this permission last?

Your GP medical record will only be viewed while you are currently being treated. When you are discharged back to the care of your GP, electronic access to your medical record will stop until someone asks you again.

Can I refuse to allow my GP to share my medical record?

If you are concerned about sharing your GP medical record you can opt out of allowing it to be shared. If you do not wish for your information, or even part of it, to leave your GP practice clinical system then please ask your GP receptionist who will arrange this. This can be done at any time – now or in the future.

Can I change my mind?

Yes you can change your mind about opting-in or opting-out at any time by asking the GP Receptionist.

How will my information be kept secure and confidential?

A secure system will be used to allow access to your GP Practice System by another organisation. All organisations involved must sign an Agreement to confirm that they will adhere to the strict controls in place around the computer system itself and around any staff who are allowed to access the system. Everyone working for the NHS has a legal and contractual duty to keep information about you secure and confidential.

How can I find out who has viewed my GP medical record

Every time your GP record is accessed by another organisation, a message is sent back to your GP Practice system and stored in an audit log

Is there a danger someone else could hack into my record or that my information could be lost?

The NHS has the strongest security measures available and there is strong protection to prevent any information from being accessed without permission. As the organisations are only viewing your record, it is not possible for them to delete any information or for it to be lost.

For further information you can discuss the sharing of your medical records with your GP or you can contact the NHS Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland IM&T Strategic Projects Team on the following should require more detail; Tel: 0116 295 0756 Email: imtpmo@lcr.nhs.uk